And another semester in the books. This time I passed all my courses and didn't kill my writing muse. Boy where they a doozy. Quickly remembers a 7:30 AM class next semester. *Whines* Well anywho, I'll be sure to get some writing done during the semester break.
And one day, we'll all say.
Judy desperately rode her bike across campus after waking up late, again. Her phone had blown up with calls and messages from Nick. First, asking if they wanted to go to class together. Next, saying that he was waiting for her outside. Lastly, telling her that he left to avoid being late. The bunny cursed herself for silencing her phone after the call with her parents.
On the way, for some reason, the students passing by were pointing and laughing at her. She tried to ignore them, but the mockery continued. Their words started to affect her, and she began to panic. It slowly caused her to lose focus. Judy looked around for an escape but only saw the students continuing to mock her.
Looking ahead, Judy caught the horrifying sight of Bogo standing in her path. She stomped on the brakes, but for some mysterious reason, they failed. Judy could only scream at the oncoming collision with her professor. The last thing the bunny saw before bracing for impact was Bogo's sinister smile and his arms reaching out towards her.
Judy's vision went dark, but she never felt the crash or being grabbed by Bogo. After a few moments of hesitation, she slowly opened her eyes and suddenly found herself all alone in a cemetery. The hue was tinted a grayish-orange that only increased the eeriness of the atmosphere.
"Hello? Is anybody here?"
The only response was the wind blowing. Judy recovered from the initial confusion and shifted focus to getting back to campus. She began walking forward, hoping to find the fence and then following it to the exit from there. The trees and headstones seemed to go on for eternity, and Judy felt lost in every direction. She hoped to find someone for assistance and companionship.
Finally, the bunny saw the exit and wasted no time running towards it. The sight of a campus building growing bigger brought Judy much relief. Near the exit, Judy saw three mammals in black robes. Her joy increased when she recognized Clawhauser, Skye, and much to her reluctance, Jack. She slowed down and stopped to catch a breath.
"Guys! I'm so happy to see…you?"
Judy immediately noticed something startling about them. Aside from recognizing the judge's robes, the areas around their eyes were dark, giving off a ghoulish look, and while not obvious on Jack and Skye, the fur on Clawhauser's face was a mixture of gray and his normal color.
"Why are you dressed that way, and what happened to your faces?"
They remained silent until malevolent grins appeared on their faces, alarming Judy.
"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Her panic was increasing by the second.
Judy took a step back and saw them move towards her. On instinct, the bunny turned to run when suddenly felt herself being seized and lifted. She then found herself being stared down by Fru Fru and her bodyguard Troy, who also appeared ghoulish and in judge's robes. Clawhauser, Jack, and Skye then joined instinct, the bunny turned to run when a large white paw suddenly seized her.
"What is the matter with all of you?! Let me go!"
They said nothing as Troy pawed Fru Fru over to Clawhauser, and Jack and Skye walked deeper into the cemetery. Fru Fru and the two larger mammals followed as Judy squirmed in Troy's grasp. Her fear returned when the exit grew smaller until it disappeared.
"Where are you taking me?!"
Judy focused less on where her friends were taking her and more on escaping. Her efforts halted when the bear stopped. With that pause, she looked ahead to see Bogo, but now, he wore a black robe like everyone else and also a judge's wig. The appearance would have been comical had it not been for him standing behind a coffin. A bunny-sized coffin. Judy went pale when she realized the horrific implication.
Her friends had sinister smiles as Bogo opened the coffin and beckoned them forward. Judy saw them obey and made one last ditch effort, but no amount of struggling, kicking, or even biting the bear's paw worked. At the coffin, Troy released her, only for Jack and Skye to seize her arms and legs. The bunny didn't have time to react as they forcibly lowered her into the coffin.
Upon recovering, Judy caught sight of Nick approaching, his appearance just like the others. But it was his now nightmarish smile that terrified her the most. He also carried something in his paws and once at the coffin, threw the objects at her. She used her arms to shield herself as she got hit. She opened her eyes to see that they were only blueberries.
The shock wore off when she noticed the lights quickly dimming and looked up to see the coffin lid lowering on her. The last thing Judy saw was her friends' malevolent grins before being engulfed in darkness and hearing the sound of the coffin closing. She pounded her fists against the lid and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Let me out!" She began kicking with both her feet. "Let me out!" Soon, tears started falling from her eyes. "LET ME OUT!"
Judy suddenly heard a faint voice amidst her cry, "Carrots? Carrots?!"
"Nick?!" She stopped moving but still heard the sounds of knocking.
"Carrots, are you alright?!"
Judy gasped for air and found herself back in her room. The sound of Nick's voice and the pounding continued much louder.
"Carrots? Carrots, are you okay?!"
She finally realized that Nick was knocking on her door and yelling her nickname. Judy shot out of bed with the blanket wrapped around her and skipped to the door.
"Carrots? Hopps?! Judy!"
She opened the door to see him in a white t-shirt and boxers and a worried expression on his face.
"Are you alright?!"
Judy noticed her frantic breathing and started taking deep breaths until calming down, "Y-yeah, I just had a nightmare. That's all."
Nick felt relieved, but it didn't erase his concerns. "What's wrong, Carrots? First, you act strange coming back from Bogo's office, and now you have a nightmare."
She remained silent and reluctant to speak. The doe had wanted to wait until morning to explain, but the incident derailed her plans. Glancing out to the hallway, she was glad to see that her nightmare didn't wake anyone else. She still tried to drop the subject. "I'm okay, Nick. Really."
"Judy,"
She flinched at his tone, but before either could speak, a growl interrupted their conversation.
Nick saw Judy clutch her stomach in response and instantly knew the reason. "Did you eat anything before going to sleep?"
She meekly shook her head.
Nick sighed heavily, "Alright, let's get you some food. You can't go back to sleep on an empty stomach." He then noted her appearance. "I see you slept in your clothes. Good. No need to get changed."
Judy slowly took a step back into her room, "It's fine, Nick. I'll just eat some carrots and blueberries."
The tod crossed his arms and stared, "Those aren't exactly filling, and I know what you're trying to do."
Caught, Judy could only look down in embarrassment. She glanced back into her room to check the time. 1 AM. "What place would even be open at this hour? Finnick's?"
Nick shook his head, "Not with Bogo in a couple of hours. Besides, Finnick closes at midnight."
"Even if we get food, you still won't drop the subject. Right?"
"I don't want this affecting your schoolwork and the study group. You can't afford to have personal problems in law school."
Judy pondered Nick's words as he patiently waited. Another growl from her stomach hastened her decision. "Fine, let's go."
"Good. Grab your things and wait outside my room while I get dressed. It should only take a few moments."
Nick and Judy returned to their rooms to get ready. Shortly after, she stood outside his room in a light purple shirt and a darker shade pants, deciding to wear more comfortable clothes. She heard the door open and saw Nick emerge in a green floral shirt and tan pants. He also wore that same tie from when they first met.
She pointed at the clothing, "What's with the tie? We're not going to class."
Nick quickly adjusted after noticing it was slightly crooked, "It helps keep the professional look. Let's get going."
Judy rolled her eyes at his remark, and they went outside. At the bike racks, she kneeled to unlock her bike when Nick stopped her.
"Hold it there, Carrots. You don't have the energy to pedal. We're taking my bike."
After her mentally and physically exhausting day, Judy had no desire to argue and agreed.
Nick unlocked his bike and got on the back of the seat. He helped Judy onto the space in front of him. Judy was surprised at the sudden feeling of fluff overcoming her. Through the streetlight, she saw that it was Nick's tail. Judy looked up to see him smiling and understood that he was making her comfortable for the ride.
"T-thank you," She said, hugging his tail close.
"You're welcome,"
Nick began pedaling as Judy carefully held onto the appendage. The bunny had to admit that being wrapped by his tail made her feel comfortable and safe. Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at an eatery called Pit's Pita. The place was unfamiliar to Judy, surprised to see that it closed at 3 AM. Then again, it did open at a reasonable 10 AM. Judy felt naked when Nick removed his tail from her to park and secure the bike but kept those thoughts to herself.
When they entered, an aroma of ingredients hit her. She saw Nick greet a male wolf and a female deer as friends. He mentioned that this was Judy's first visit, and they were more than happy to provide a crash course. After understanding how the place operates, the two placed their orders: Judy a garden pita, and Nick a prime cricket pita. Nick ended up paying for both meals despite Judy's objections.
Minutes later, the two were seated at a table with their pitas and drinks. When Judy took a bite, her taste buds exploded at the flavors from the vegetables and sauces. As a result of her hunger, she ravaged the pita and got her face messy. Nick chuckled at the display but ceased when Judy shot him a glare. With her belly satisfied, the bunny relaxed back into her seat just as Nick finished eating.
"Good huh?" He said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
Judy smiled and nodded. "Thanks, I needed that."
"You're welcome," He sipped his drink before getting comfortable in his seat. "Alright. Tell me what's been bothering you."
His question caused her worries to resurface. Judy delayed a moment to drink before finally speaking. "It was about my meeting with Bogo,"
Nick had suspected that but wanted to know the details, "How bad?"
Judy twiddled with her fingers nervously, "Well, Bogo never said he would stop calling on me. He just gave me a rather harsh reminder that I'm in law school."
"And his words got to you?"
Judy remained silent and shrank back in her seat. That was all Nick needed to see.
"Don't let it get to you, Judy."
The bunny looked up at him in exasperation. "How? You saw what happened to me."
Nick quickly put a paw up to stop her, "I'm not saying it's easy. I'm saying his words shouldn't discourage you from being a lawyer. You've certainly heard the comment about your species, and you wouldn't have made it this far if you listened to them. Don't start now because your role model is now one of those mammals."
The conversation became silent as the tod's words hung in the air. Nick was hoping that he got through to her.
Finally, Judy let out a deep sigh, "You're right. I worked hard through college to get here and ignored the doubters. I won't let my mistake determine my future," She looked up and smiled. "Thank you, Nick,"
He felt relieved from the positive response, "You're welcome."
Judy suddenly became nervous and resumed twiddling her fingers. "Um, just so you know. I still want to outline Contracts." She took a deep breath and became resolved. "I don't care what Jack thinks. He could leave the group if he doesn't like my decision. I only care that you trust me since it's your study group."
Nick folded his paws together and leaned forward on the table, staring at Judy with a serious expression. His display made Judy anxious, and her nose started to twitch in anticipation.
"Well?" Judy's foot started thumping.
Nick slowly broke out into a grin and let out a small chuckle, "You're so cute when you're nervous."
The bunny's nervousness instantly evaporated, and she shot a murderous glare at the smug fox. "Nick…"
"I know. I just wanted to have a little fun. Lighten the mood, but yes I do trust you with the Contracts outline."
Nick didn't see Judy move from her seat and land right in his lap to give him a crushing hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
After the initial shock wore off, Nick returned the hug, and the two remained that way for a few moments before a gruff voice disrupted the moment.
"Can you two lovebirds wrap it up? We got to close up shop in 30 minutes."
Nick and Judy broke from the hug and turned to see the wolf and a deer employees grinning mischievously at them.
Nick and Judy realized their current position and quickly separated from each other, both blushing from being called out.
"Uh yeah, sorry about that," Nick said. "We'll be out soon."
"And we're not dating!" Judy exclaimed, still blushing profusely, "We're just friends and got caught up in the moment!"
"It sure looked otherwise from here," The deer said.
She and the wolf chuckled and returned to close the place.
Nick and Judy silently looked at each other and chuckled nervously. The fox motioned to the door, and the bunny nodded. The two cleaned their mess and bid goodbye to the employees before returning to the dorms. They arrived at their rooms just after 3 AM.
"See you tomorrow?" Judy asked.
"Yep, we'll tell everyone else after class about your decision."
"I hope the others are supportive."
"Ben and Fru Fru definitely. We already know Jack's opinion, but I think Skye can be persuaded. Either way, the majority vote is there, and it will be enough to convince Jack to stay if he thinks of leaving."
"I hope so. Well, good night, and thank you again."
"My pleasure. Good night," Nick shot a two-finger salute and entered his bedroom.
Judy did the same and changed into her pajamas. As she lied in bed, her mind kept going back to what the wolf said after seeing her and Nick hug. She didn't know why it bothered her. She was just happy about Nick letting her outline Contracts and wanted to thank him. Hugging was a normal expression of gratitude for rabbits. She glanced at the clock and squeaked at the time. Judy quickly made herself comfortable and tried to go to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, a few rooms down, Nick was having the same internal struggles.
Sadly, 1L's can't afford distractions so things will be slow for now.
